Classical music: Les Arts Florissants - Kilkenny Arts Festival

3/5

Amid a proliferation of period instrument ensembles, Les Arts Florissants retain a distinguished position. Taking their title from a Charpentier opera, they have built a reputation as exponents sans pareil of French Baroque operatic repertoire and are credited with spearheading the renaissance of the genre in France — quite an achievement for an ensemble with an expat American at the helm.

Their return with revered founding director William Christie to headline Kilkenny Arts Festival after a gap of two decades was keenly anticipated.

At St Canice’s Cathedral on Sunday, the language was German, albeit with a French accent.

In a rare foray into the music of JS Bach, the ensemble presented a programme drawn from the lighter side of his work as part of a general Bach series at the 2015 festival.

The slimmed down line-up of eight included a mix of stalwarts and players drawn from the Arts Flo Junior programme flanking Christie on harpsichord. The vocal component was carried by three singers — all very good. Scottish soprano Rachel Redmond led the opening celebration of Spring in the Wedding Cantata.

The vigour in Antoine Torunczyck ‘s oboe line performed from memory injected a welcome vehemence. Belgian tenor Reinoud Van Mechelen brought out the pathos in the cantata, Ich armer Mensch. Bass, Andrew Foster-Williams, who impressed here last year with Early Opera Company, sang the comic role of the stern father in the ‘Coffee Cantata’.

A Sonata in G for two violins and continuo was stylishly executed but a piece more suited to a smaller, more intimate setting. The Orchestral Suite No 2 which opened the second half didn’t benefit from the meagre forces and the solo flute lines lacked the buoyancy associated with the familiar Badiniere. With a hefty ticket price of €40-€50, I did expect to see more substantial forces.

That said, the stylish performance drew sustained applause and a standing ovation from the full house followed by a reprise of the final chorus of the ‘Coffee Cantata’ . Although very polished, this evening felt more like the musical equivalent of a single shot decaff — lacking the kick of an anticipated double shot expresso.